


Diary

by ShadowHaloedAngel



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Being an assassin changes your thinking patterns, F/F, Shameless Cute, Women Being Awesome, these two are the best ever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-18
Updated: 2012-12-18
Packaged: 2017-11-21 11:31:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/597232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowHaloedAngel/pseuds/ShadowHaloedAngel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They are the same, and yet so very different. They are what make each other human.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Diary

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flightinflame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightinflame/gifts).



Natasha often mused on what it was that made their relationship work so well. There was the obvious, of course. They had more in common than perhaps people believed, even when they did bother to think past the superficial benefits - and they did have a point, Natasha allowed herself a small smile - she and Pepper did look incredible together. But it was more than that, so much more than that.

They were women who lived in men's worlds, and did /better/ than the men they were surrounded with. Pepper, who lived the life of one of the world's top CEO's, arguably one of the most important /people/ in business, let alone one of the most important women in business - another of the double standards she hated - and who constantly met and exceeded all of the standards forced upon her which so greatly exceeded any of the pressure her male counterparts were put under. It was already commonly accepted that if Pepper Potts looked rattled, shit was going down. There was never a crack in that perfect veneer, in the makeup, the nail polish... never a hair out of place, nor a crease in those terrifyingly professional suits. She was constantly underestimated, and she knew just how to turn that to her advantage. Natasha was secretly sure that even Fury was a little bit afraid of Pepper.

Natasha knew what it was like to be underestimated, and how to turn it to your advantage. Before Coulson there hadn't been a handler she hadn't slept with, although that hadn't exactly been by conscious choice. She was a weapon, her body was a weapon, and her skills had needed honing. Besides, it was so much easier not to have to deal with the associated shit of wounded male pride. It was easy to insinuate yourself into situations where men believed you were nothing more than a pretty face, and she knew just how to let them think they had outsmarted her. That thought was always one they came to regret later, and she enjoyed that moment of realisation on their faces probably a great deal more than she should have. 

Despite the odds, the prejudice they had faced, they had both risen to the very top of their careers, and that gave their relationship a bedrock which nothing else could threaten. Regardless of how fundamental the similarities they shared were, though, there were some differences which could not quite be ignored - and they were never clearer than when Natasha decided, completely on a whim, to 'borrow' Pepper's black diary. 

Not the kind of diary kept by some lovesick teenager, but the kind of diary which, not to put too fine a point on it, effectively ruled Pepper's life. Natasha, however, simply followed orders. Yes, there was a mission plan, with a time scale, and guidelines - a plan they were meant to follow, but she always had to be ready to improvise. Especially when she was on a mission with Barton. He generally necessitated improvisation, not quite like anyone else. Pepper's life was organised with a rigid regimentality that Natasha's mental fluidity couldn't quite wrap around. It made sense, in a way, though, and it didn't mean that Pepper couldn't think herself out of corners, it was just that her improvisation tended to be a lot more in legal terms, or in negotiation than actual actions, meetings, or timings. The woman practically scheduled her bathroom breaks, for crying out loud. Secretly, though, Natasha suspected that was solely so that Pepper could be absolutely sure she would keep her sanity when she was confronted with yet another 12 hour day of meetings with suits who could keep neither their eyes nor hands to themselves, and continually tried to outsmart her. Knowing that she was more intelligent than them with one hand tied behind her back didn't mean it was any the less wearing, after all. 

She flicked through the coming weeks... marketing meeting, zoning meeting, board meeting, investors' meeting... gala dinner, presentation, business trip, conference call, pedicure, shopping trip, hair stylist... and then a date that was suspiciously blank. Natasha paused at that, and frowned. Pepper never took days off. Never. She couldn't help it, a wave of dread washed over her and she snapped the leather bound book shut, going out to hunt down the errant redhead and ask her a few pertinent questions. 

She found Pepper in her office - of course, it was eight o'clock on a weekday night, where else would the woman be - shoes off, feet tucked up beneath her on the chair, hair half down and her fingers scrunched in it. She took a moment to appreciate the sight. There was nothing quite like Pepper with her guard down, much as she loved the sight of the woman in her own equivalent of battle armour. She knew Pepper didn't let anyone see her vulnerable. Even Tony had only barely seen it. Natasha was the exception, because they both knew it was safe to be weak around the other, and sometimes, just sometimes, they needed somewhere safe to be weak. 

"Hey... " the slim redhead didn't even look up as she greeted the navy clad assassin leaning on her doorway, Natasha rarely made her jump anymore. 

"Hello yourself... you got anything you want to tell me?"

"Is it bad business practice to use your girlfriend to set up hits on assholes who wouldn't know a sensible investment if it gave them a lap dance?"

That made Natasha smile, and she crossed over to rub Pepper's shoulders gently, pressing a chaste kiss to her cheek. 

"Depends how intractable they're being. I'd rather be... persuasive, it might minimise the bad press. Besides, it's fun being persuasive."

Pepper looked up at her, then, and, tired as her blue eyes were, they danced, and Natasha felt a warmth uncoil in her stomach at the sight of Pepper so willing to trust and joke, even when she was practically worn to the bone. It was time to stop dodging the issue, though, and she had to choose her words carefully. 

"You've been working a lot lately... it seems I hardly get time to see you anymore... is there something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing's wrong... it just goes in phases I guess, and this is a busy one... is something bothering you?"

Natasha hesitated. She didn't want it to seem accusatory, or like she was jumping to conclusions, but there were simple facts which didn't sit right with her, and she wanted an explanation. She was almost certain that anything Pepper said would be kinder than what her mind was suggesting. 

"You... never take days off. Not really. And I understand the idea of never being off the clock. It isn't fair, but it's how we get to where we are, and how we stay here," another slight pause, "I just... you left your diary in our room, and I was feeling nostalgic... so I took a peek, and next friday you just have... nothing. I know it probably isn't important, but I'm trained to look for red flags and that... felt wrong."

Pepper stared up at her for a long moment, and Natasha's stomach turned a little. Pepper was unreadable. That never happened. There was never anyone she couldn't read (with the occasional exception of Coulson). Then those soft pink lips curled up, and the carefully shaped eyebrow quirked. 

"...You are one of the most incredible women I have ever met. But you have the most spectacular case of selective memory sometimes. You can remember every detail, no matter how minor, of every cover identity you have ever assumed... and yet you're confused when I deliberately refuse to schedule anything on our anniversary."

She could feel the blood rush to her cheeks, a flush she couldn't quite stop. Ah. Well. That explained a lot. Rather than attempting to communicate with words, which were so rarely her strong point anyway, she pressed a warm, apologetic kiss to Pepper's lips, enjoying the taste of bitter coffee. 

"...That's a fair point..." she murmured "Now, come on. It's not fair if you're always the responsible one. Now it's my turn. Dinner, movie, bed. Paperwork can wait."

She turned the chair away from the desk, and kissed Pepper again, savouring the moment, and pleased by the lack of resistance as she finally escorted her lover home.

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so, I was aiming to do an advent calendar of fics this year, but I took the weekend off at the beginning of the month to recover from NaNoWriMo, and the emotional crisis I had at the end of November, so now I'm playing catch up. I hope to get caught up in the next few days.
> 
> I decided to combine the advent calendar idea with the fact that I owe the very lovely and incredibly patient flightinflame about a million fics. Or, you know, at least 21, which would be a belated birthday present. So consider this those fics with interest. All will be dedicated to her, and I'll try to incorporate the prompts she gave me back in May, although I'm still aiming for a Christmas theme. Most are OC and so can't be found here, but fanfic is crossposted here from deviantart.


End file.
